Some things we never talk about...

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by Wizank, Jun 13, 2020.

Page 3 of 3
  1. LakeEffect

    LakeEffect Average Circulated

    Acetone will remove organic crud sitting on the surface of a coin. Fingerprints are often a chemical reaction between stuff on the finger and the metal. Acetone can't reverse that reaction.

    A bit like washing your car - you can remove mud, dust, pollen, and bird poop but not rust or oxidized paint.
     
    LakeEffect, Jun 16, 2020
    #41 + Quote Reply
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  3. Conder101

    Conder101 Numismatist

    The coin he is talking about supposedly has very recent fingerprints. Acetone may or may not remove them completely (frankly I would use two baths, one of acetone to remove organics, and one of distilled water to remove salts. Then a finial acetone rinse to dry the coin.) One word of warning, copper often takes on a slight film of oil and the acetone will remove that. It could leave the coin "dry" looking.
     
    Conder101, Jun 17, 2020
    #42 + Quote Reply
  4. ldhair

    ldhair Clean Supporter

    Many dealers and collectors will tell everyone to not clean coins at all. This comes from seeing all the coins that get destroyed by new folks to the hobby.
    It's probably the best answer to give new folks. Learning the proper process takes time and every coin is a different story.

    Going back to acetone. I believe in using fresh acetone with every bath. You want each bath to carry the junk away.
     
    ldhair, Jun 17, 2020
    #43 + Quote Reply
    John Burgess and rosethe like this.
  5. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    Acetone will sometimes, stress sometimes, cause copper to turn weird colors. So no, don't use acetone on copper. If you need to rinse copper use xylene, it will not harm the coin or cause color changes.

    Regarding the fingerprint, acetone and xylene will only remove fresh fingerprints - with fresh being defined as less than a week old. If they're older than that it's already too late.

    General rule of thumb, if you can see fingerprints it's already way past too late ! Fresh fingerprints are invisible unless viewed at very specific angles. So once you can see them, the only way to get them off is to use coin dip because the fingerprints are physically etched into the metal. And even coin dip won't always work. NOTE - it is not advisable to use coin dip on copper unless you really know what you are doing !

    Best bet, leave them alone. And if you can't stand them being there, sell the coin and buy another.
     
    GDJMSP, Jun 17, 2020
    #44 + Quote Reply
    ldhair likes this.
  6. Wizank

    Wizank Well-Known Member

    HAHA, a rule of thumb regarding fingerprints, I love it!!
     
    Wizank, Jun 17, 2020
    #45 + Quote Reply
  7. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    GDJMSP, Jun 17, 2020
    #46 + Quote Reply
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